Refugee Cash Assistance

Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP)

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RRP is cash assistance paid under the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Program.

The Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-212, dated 3/17/80) was established to provide financial assistance, medical services and social services to refugees in the United States, regardless of national origin.

The RCA program is a 12-month, time-limited federally-funded public assistance program for eligible non-citizen populations who are not otherwise eligible for any other cash aid. It is administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

RCA benefits are available to refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian Entrants, certified survivors of human trafficking, and Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders. Humanitarian parolees are generally not eligible for federal public benefits, including RCA, unless and until they change their immigration status to one that makes them qualified non-citizens under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).

However, when authorized by Congress, some humanitarian parolees are eligible for federal benefits.

The following individuals are eligible for funding under the RRP:

RCA individuals and couples with no minor children,
Families that are not CalWORKs eligible (i.e. Unemployed less than 30 days and have resided in the U.S. less than 12 months),
- Pregnant person only case at any stage of pregnancy when there is no deprivation (Refer to Pregnancy Special Need Need for verification requirement) and
Asylees

Note: Pregnant person only cases with deprivation must be evaluated for CalWORKs.

Parole for Cuban Medical Personnel in Third World Countries Program

On August 11, 2006, the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security announced the Parole for Cuban Medical Personnel in Third World Countries Program. This program allows certain Cuban medical personnel located outside of Cuba to apply for admission to the U.S.

Federally Funded Benefits

Cuban medical professionals, their Cuban spouses and Cuban children who are paroled as Cuban/Haitian entrants under INA Section 212(d)(5) are immediately eligible to receive federally-funded CalWORKs benefits. These individuals are NOT subject to the five-year waiting period for federally-funded CalWORKs benefits, but are required to meet all other CalWORKs eligibility criteria and reporting requirements.

State Funded Benefits

The non-Cuban spouse and non-Cuban children of these medical professionals who are paroled into the U.S. under INA Section 212(d)(5), are defined as “qualified aliens”. Although they meet the definition of a “qualified alien”, unless the non-Cuban spouse and non-Cuban children have another status qualifying them for benefits, they have to wait five years before they are eligible for federally-funded benefits. However, they would be eligible for state-funded benefits and would be required to meet all other CalWORKs eligibility criteria and reporting requirements.

Verification

The documentation required for the Cuban medical professional and his or her Cuban spouse and Cuban children is the “Arrival/Departure Record” (Form I-94) with the parole stamp. The I-94 includes a notation after the word “Purpose” with “Cuban Parolee (CC); pending 240 hearing”. The form may also refer to INA Code Section 212(d)(5).

Reminder: All documentation must be verified through the SAVE process for confirmation of non-citizen status. If an Alien number is not provided on Form I-94, Secondary Verification Procedures must be initiated.

Welfare-to-Work Requirements

Families that qualify under the Parole for Cuban Medical Personnel in third World Countries Program are required to meet Welfare-to-Work requirements.

Note: Cuban medical professionals may be eligible for ECA if they are not eligible for CalWORKs.

Persons Ineligible for RCA

The following persons are not eligible for RCA:

Families and Pregnant Person Only cases (must have deprivation) eligible for CalWORKs
Individuals/families whose Date of Entry is over 12 months
Full-time college students
Individuals without INS Refugee Status.

Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program

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Legal Definition

A Cuban or Haitian Entrant is defined in Section 501(a) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-442, 10/10/80) and Code of Federal Regulation 401.2 as:

Any individual granted parole status as a Cuban/Haitian Entrant (Status Pending) or granted any other special status subsequently established under the immigration laws for nationals of Cuba or Haiti, regardless of the status of the individual at the time assistance of services are provided, and any other national of Cuba or Haiti who:

Was paroled into the United States and has not acquired any other status under the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), or
Is the subject of removal, deportation or exclusion proceedings under the INA, or
Has an application for asylum pending with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), AND
Has no final, non-appealable, and legally enforceable order of deportation or exclusion against them.

Eligibility Determination

A Cuban or Haitian Entrant may be eligible for ORR funded assistance programs such as RCA/ECA, Refugee Supportive Services (RSS), and Services for Older Refugee (SOR). They are also eligible for mainstream federal benefits, including CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as well as Housing and Homelessness Programs.

Documentation Requirements and Eligibility Determination Process

Cuban/Haitian Entrant applicants must provide documentation that confirms their nationality and their immigration status to receive ORR-funded benefits and services [refer to CPHB 9.3.11]. If the applicant provides documentation not listed in Cuban/Haitian Entrant table, then follow the eligibility process below.

Acquire a written declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is a national of Cuba or Haiti and has a status that makes them eligible for benefits.
Obtain and review documentation [from the list in CPHB 9.3.11] of immigration status and Cuban or Haitian nationality. The U.S. visit documentation (visitor visa), by itself, is not acceptable to prove eligibility or ORR benefits and services.
If the provided documentation supports the applicant’s status as a Cuban or Haitian Entrant, verify the entry date and program specific requirements.
If unable to confirm immigration status from the documentation provided, other verification methods should be utilized such as SAVE or Form 845.
If unable to verify immigration status after exhausting all the above resources, EW Supervisors should contact the CalWORKs Program Coordinator.
SAVE verification: Regardless of the documentation provided, Eligibility Staff are required to comply with all program verification requirements, which includes submitting cases via SAVE.

In the process of determining eligibility, Eligibility Staff may find that some Haitians who were paroled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may have restrictive language on their I-94’s which inaccurately states: “This form does not convey authorization to receive any type of public benefit”. The ORR Policy Letter 16-03 provides instructions to continue the issuance of ORR benefits and services to these applicants.

Some Cuban parolees may have a non-Cuban spouse and/or non-Cuban children who do not meet the definition of Cuban and Haitian entrant. These non-Cuban spouses and children are not eligible for ORR benefits, including ECA, unless they have another qualifying status.

Note: The 12-month cash assistance time eligibility for Cuban and Haitian Entrants starts the date of parole, and they retain eligibility for services even if the validity period of their parole status expires prior to the end of the 12-month time eligibility.

Entrant Cash Assistance Eligibility

The Cuban Haitian Entrant Program is cash assistance paid under the Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA).
The Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-442, 10/10/80) established a Cuban Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP) to provide eligible Cubans and Haitians with medical assistance, cash assistance and social services. The CHEP follows the eligibility rules of the Refugee Resettlement Program.

ECA refers to federally funded cash assistance available to eligible Cubans and Haitians who do not meet the categorical requirements of other state/federal cash assistance programs (CalWORKs or SSI/SSP). ECA eligibility requirements are the same as RCA except for the following:

Non-citizen status - Refer to Documentation for more information.
Unaccompanied Minor definitions - Refer to Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) Program for more information.

Cuban/Haitian Entrants are eligible for ORR benefits and services from the date they first enter into Cuban/Haitian Entrant status (which for Cuban Parolees will be the date of grant of parole, or first parole if more than one parole was granted).

Applicants for ECA, as with RCA, are not required to disclose their Social Security Number (SSN).

However, Eligibility Staff may request that the disclosure is voluntary and explain to the applicant how the SSN will be utilized.

CalWORKs/TANF Eligibility

Some qualified non-citizens are not eligible for any federal means-tested public benefit for a period of 5 years from their date of entry. However, this limitation does not apply to Cuban or Haitian entrants as defined above. Therefore, a Cuban or Haitian Entrant who meets all other eligibility requirements is eligible for CalWORKs/TANF assistance.
Cuban and Haitian Entrants who are eligible for CalWORKs/TANF are also eligible for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance and CalWORKs Housing Support Program (CHSP) which can provide housing support to obtain or maintain permanent housing. Participation in Welfare-to-Work is not a condition of eligibility for CHSP.

ECA and RCA Aid Codes

Eligible Cuban/Haitian Entrants who are not eligible for other cash assistance are issued RCA/ECA benefis.

The MEDS aid code for the RCA is 01 and the aid code for ECA is 08.

Individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela

Individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela may request advance travel authorization to come to the United States and be considered for parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. If approved, a qualifying individual can receive a temporary grant of parole for up to two years, including employment authorization.

To be considered under this process, an individual from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela must pass rigorous biometric and biographic national security and public safety screening and vetting; have a supporter in the United States who commits to providing financial and other support; meet other eligibility criteria and warrant a favorable excercise of discretion.

The parole process described above is just one pathway by which Cubans, Haitian, Nicaraguans and Venezuelan (CHNV) citizens and national may enter the United States. CHNV citizens and nationals can arrive under several immigration categories and may apply for a change of immigration status or category once inside the United States. Likely immigration statuses that may be encountered when serving these CHNV citizens and nationals include:

Refugee
Asylee
Humanitarian Parole
Sponsored Non-citizen (Lawful Permanent Resident [LPR])
nonimmigrant Visa Holder
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Holder
Asylum Applicant

CHNV Refugees and Asylees

Refugees and Asylees qualify for Refugee Cash Assistance, Refugee Support Services and other programs. Subject to very limited exceptions, asylum applicants do not qualify for federally funded benefits and services unless they hold another qualifying status.

CHNV Humanitarian Parolees

Nicaraguan and Venezuelan parolees are not currently eligible for ORR-funded refugee benefits and services. However, because of existing exceptions for Cuban/Haitian parolees who arrive to the United States under this new supporter-based parole process are eligible for benefits and services to the same extent as refugees. All CHNV parolees are eligible to apply for work authorization and a social security number.

Temporary Protected Status

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders are not eligible for most federal or state public benefits and services unless and until they acquire a qualified non-citizen status. Individuals with TPS may apply for an Employment Authorization Document and immigrant or nonimmigrant status. The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.

RCA Eligibility

Venezuelan and Nicaraguan humanitarian parolees do not qualify for RCA. Cuban and Haitian humanitarian parolees are eligible for RCA. In the event the status is unable to be confirmed after reviewing immigration documents, a written declaration under penalty of perjury may be accepted while using other methods to verify information. As a reminder, RCA applicants are not required to provide a SSN, however, a request can be made to the applicant to voluntarily provide their SSN. The refugee applicant must be informed that the disclosure of the SSN is voluntary and how the SSN will be used.